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Friday, January 3, 2014

Feature Friday: Tiffany Shawn in the Spotlight

Hey Everyone,

I am super excited to have the lovely, Tiffany, on my blog today.She is also a fellow blogger and vlogger and I absolutely love the updos she creates.I was finally able to catch this busy woman and find out more about “My Natural Reality” and of course her natural hair.

So without further ado, let’s get into it.

Tiffany, thank you for taking time out and sharing with us today, it is greatly appreciated.

For those that don’t know who you are, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My website came about as I journeyed through natural-hair and ahealthier lifestyle. I stopped relaxing my hair in June 2010. This was my second stab at natural hair. I tried once in 2008 but only lasted 5 months before throwing in the towel.

This time around, I did my homework! Thanks to YouTubers and natural hair sites (see my favorites page!), I learned what could possibly work best with my own hair and how to transition without breaking my hair and losing my sanity. I was inspired by sistahs who were once in my boat: learning the texture of their natural hair! And if you’re not ready to rock your hair in its natural state, you’ll still find good tips and styles for healthily-relaxed hair here at My Natural Reality!

Working outand (semi)eating healthyis a way of life for me. I added that “semi” because I will not deny myself a tasty treat every now and then…but I know my limits and I know I’ll work it off! So when I say “eating healthy” I don’t mean I’m sitting around eating like a rabbit. I explainmy lifestyle routine here! I’m not the most patient person, but this process along with posting on my site has helped me with that flaw.

How did you come up with the name?

The name was one of many choices…I kept saying it over and over out loud for days to see which had the best ring. A couple friends and family members were part of my voting team to help choose a name that would allow me to talk about more than just natural hair. That tends to be the main focus, but I enjoy featuring entrepreneurs, sharing fashionably styled photos, and even a little DIY. It’s a life-website…if it’s happening in MY REALITY and I want to post about it, I do. J

Well….what is your main purpose behind MyNaturalReality and what are your future plans?

My mission is to 1- give others exposure to a new audience and 2- encourage my readers through stories of perseverance from those I meet on my journey with this new venture (the website:). And this is also a way for me to continue to improve upon my craft: writing.

I thought I could hang in there with transitioning longer than I did, but after six months, I grew tired of the two textures. And I wanted to get into my natural kinks.

LOL….I feel ya.I only last 9 months before I did my BC.

How did you feel after going natural?

I was devastated for at least 15 minutes. I cried in the bathroom because I looked like a boy. So I called a homegirl on the phone to whine. She told me to suck it up, get my gel, twist my hair, and go to bed! So I got over that fairly quick. I still never loved my TWA stage because I was unaccustomed to seeing myself with such short hair, but it went by fast.

I can definitely relate to that scenario. Was you family support of your decision to go natural?What was their reaction?

Everyone was supportive. My mom, grandmother, and a host of aunts have been natural off and on since the 90s. They’ve all worn fades, afros, or extensions most of my life. So while they were surprised I cut my long hair and stopped relaxing, they were so used to me trying new styles that it was no big deal. Many of my friends happen to be natural, so again, it wasn’t a big deal. It was those I work with and students I teach who gave a side eye to my new look. But eventually they were back to complimenting my hairstyles.

Now that you have had plenty of time to get used to your hair, how would you describe it?

If I had to put a number to it, my hair is a mix of 4a and 4b. The crown of my head and nape of my neck are the coiliest sections. My bang area is so disrespectful (lol)…for some reason it’s almost straight. It has little curl pattern; it’s just thick and kinky. So wash n go’s never work for me for this reason. When I have tried them, I tend to pin that part back. My hair does best with twists and braids.

I find it interesting how we tend to have 1,000 different textures on one head. LOL!!

What’s your current hair routine?

I’m focusing on coloring my hair less and wearing more twisted styles (whether loose or pinned up). I’ve been coloring my own hair since 7th grade, so it’s more than just a habit…it’s a way of life! Real talk! But I know my hair was being damaged because of that and wearing a ‘fro too much. I also don’t like to retwist or braid at night, so I just don’t. That’s not always good for your hair and I get those annoying knots on the ends but I just cut them and move on with my day! As far as my rebellion in regards to spending an hour twisting or braiding every night…my hair is just too thick for that! I can’t use my precious time in that way. So I just accept that my hair will look different as the days go on. I do sleep in a silk or satin scarf, bonnet, or use the same material pillowcase.

You crack me up, but I certainly respect your honestly.I have feel asleep plently of times without prepping it the night before and work up to a surprise.That is when we go to that “Mega Bun”. LOl!!!

What are your some of your favorite products?

Favorite products? That’s a loaded question. One: I’ve always been a product junky…even with relaxed hair. So that didn’t start with the natural tresses. Two: Rarely am I loyal to any one product. I guess I can share what I’ve used the most in recent months. For shampoos, I like my rhassoul and bentonite clay shampoo bar from http://LACEnatural.com and really love Ouidad’s cowash (I received it as a vlogger for http://NaturallyCurly.com, but that product is way too expensive for me to repurchase at this time). Condtioners I’m diggin’ right now are Motions Naturally You Deep Conditioning Masque and Miss Jessie’s Sweetback Treatment. I have several lightweight leave-in conditioners that I like too. Check my YouTube for those! To twist/braid, I honestly have no favorite product. I have much to choose from so I just try not to waste my products! I switch pretty much every wash day.

Tiffany, it is definitely been a pleasure having on you my blog today.Thank you for taking the time to share with use today, before you go can you tell us what the best thing about being natural is?

Versatility!!! I love to be able to create styles I couldn’t do with relaxed hair. I used to do rod and straw sets on a regular basis. While I don’t do either but once or twice a year, I can get coily ends by twirling my strands around my finger and that big hair look you get with roller sets is similar to what I can do with twist and braid outs! I also absolutely love twists. I always thought they were cute and they were the main style I used to want to try before I was natural.

Well, there you have it ladies and gents.

To see more of Tiffany please check her out and the links below. Also, please don’t forgot to support her YouTube Channel, a video is linked below.